---- ----;---;------:----:------ - - ' An exhortation to repentance. -··- - - ofmen, and Angels, to his ctcrnall confuf1on. A ther fl:ate, for cuen fertmies cafC is oms: \·Ve ·- Thirdiy,Search faith the Prophet, but not fo may_ complainc as he did, No man repems him cot)-tent, he fOrccth it againc, EuenfearciJyou. ofhu wiclzydncj{c ,fa.Ji"g, wh.tt haue I done? the ln thus repeating 3lld vrging thii exhortation, fame is the fore of our people, and the flckcncs the holy Gho!l giucs them and vs to vnderof ~tll Nations, that cucry man nmncs on in bis Hand, that the true fcarching of a mans heart, Cinnes/rom fin ne to flnnc,,arclcfly,fucn as the · ·and life, is a dutic of great moment, :~.nd fped. barde horfc inro the battJilc. But how rare a 31lncozcffiry: tbcrforc he leaucs it not after once thing is it, tofindc a man, that daily fC.:~rchcth naming it, but inforccth it the fecond time, as himfClfc, and examines how he liucs, and how be'cing no matter of inditfcrcncic, but ofgreat the cafe !hndcth betwixt God ~md himfclfe; &: nccdlitic: then: by fhc~,o\'ing, that itisa princi- ·\ that when he hath done amHR ,.enrererh into pall duty in repentance, cuen the beginning & the dofet ofhis heart,and !hikes nim!Cife vpon foundation of all true grace. the brcall, and difpuces the cafe with himfelfc, · .And further, it is a meanes alfo to preuent faying,What hau~ I don~? 0 what is this, that I GocfS iudgcmcnts, for ,.,.·hen men fcarch not haucdoncagainll:God,againfthis Church,and thcmfclues, then. God fends the fire of affiiCli- B again!l mine ownc foulc? on$·, and cro!fcs to. tric and fcarch them r but The want of this is that which the Propht"t ·.,~hc.n-they fearch them(clues,then God fparcth complaincth of in that place: not as though it tP (earch them by his iufl: iudgemencs. were fufficicnt thus to doe,in a mans own conNow in that this dutic offcarching, is both (cicncc; but bccauiC it is a good beginning,and the beginning of :~.ll true grace, and the meane alleppc: to further grace. For if a man did feri.- to fby Gods iudgmcms, and therefore is fo pioufiy thus deale with his confcicnce after his thjly,and fo.forceably vrgcd by the holy ghofl, finnc, his confcien<e would Jlupc him fuch an \ ltmuil teach v~ all a nccetfarie leffon:namdy,to aunfwer, and would tell hir,\ fo roundly ..,·.:hat make great coniCicnce of fcarching our felues. he ht~ddo11e, that he would take hcedc how bee Firfl, bec:1ufc God hath fo commanded, & we did the f:unc againc, and lo_okc more n~rrowly, are to make confcicncc of obedience to c-ueric and warily to himfclfe all the daycs ofhis hfe. co.mmau.ndcme.nr•. Secondly, becaufe thereby Seeing therefore it is fo neccffatic a dmy 1 let wdhal11·eape two fo gr.cat commod1ties,as firH eue.ry one ofvs indeauor the praCHfe ofit,namthcreby wee fi1all.lay a. furc foundation for the ly, to rip and ranfackc our hearts, and to fcJrch 'gooO. workc ofgf"acc in v.s, a.nd fc~ondly,fhall our W3ie.s vmo the botromc. Hay the hand ofGod, and his iudgemcnts fi-om Now for your better inllruCHon,apd furthc.. "}.leing executed vpon vs. Lee vs therefore hear... C ranee in the performance hereof: you muH ken to this counfcll of the holy Ghofl, let vs knowe, thatthis Srarch isto bee madeby the \a~e the fan ofthclawe, and therewith feareh Law ofGod,fornothing clfe but Gods law can and winno"V-'e'our.hearts and liues. Our beans, hclpe vs, & let vs fee that which we muft fcarch J~r feqet and hid~Cn_corrup_tio~s •. Our liues, fo1: for ifwe fcarch by any other mcancs, wee for cQmmitting of cUtll) and omttung ofgood. may feekc and fearch long enough, ere we find Doe with your hearts as men doe ~·vith their any thing that will bee mact'cr ofrepen~ance. whcate :' they will~ not fuffer their corne_to lie Aske the Dcuill,hc will tell thee all is \Vcll,and loog in ~he chaffc '· lcaflthc chaff~ .hurt It,but that thou art in an excellent cfiate; ~nd God commitft to the fanne, that the w1nd may fcloues thee, 01nd thou art titre of Hc:tucn ! this paratc th~m:So ~h; grac;s ofCiod ~n o~r hearts fong the dcuill alwaies'fiu-gs..for the triofl.part -are pure cornc, our finncs and c01'rupt1ons arc till a man comes to die, for then hceappc-.arcs in chaffe: looke well, and tho~ !halt ~ode in thy his colours; bttt till then, .he labou.rsto fing,& fdfc ·muCh chiffe, and but little cornc:: Jet not lull all men a ficepc in·the cradle of fcc.uritie. then the chaffe lie too long mingled with the .Askc our owoc ildh, and our owne hearts and -Cornc, leaA: it corrupt the corne. let not thy naturcs,and they wil anfwer,and fay, that all is {jnfl~s lie.mingled with. the gr:~c~ ~fGod in D well and fafC, and that we haue Lelceucd, and thee ifthou doe, they w1l choake 1t m the end, loucd and feared God all our daycs. A~kc:: the _and fo rlepriue thee of all g~acc: thcr.cfore rip world, and men in the world: and they_will _vp thy heart , and Jooke m;o thy hfc , and · anfwer all is well; and th•y will fay funher,that when £hou haA: finned, enter rnto thy fclfc,askc thou art a right good fdlowe, and art worth chv confcicncc what thou haft done,and be not I twenty ofihotC curious foolcs that flick vpon ~qL;iet till th~u hall found ~ut thy linne,and the points, and fi~nd vpon circmnHances~as [~,o\:eafoulcndlC ofit:& neucr thmkcthat thouknowrinr1,atu;l drinking,and good fellovvfiuppe,and ell any thing in rcligion,till thou knowcft wh~.t · ga1~ing,and fuch other nic.e and circumtlamial i-; in thine ownc heart, and ..,,·hatarcthy fpcetpoints: thus will worldly men anfwer ~ for, thy '3.U and priuie!t corruptions, and lookc into th}' prophane courfe isacceptable to thcm,bccmtc ownc faulcs, not \.Vith a paniall eye, but with a thcreby'"thou ::!pprooudlthc fame in them.Nay ~enforious,ond a {\raight iudgmcnt: ij1arc finnc goe funher and askc all hum01nc learning in the In no man, but cfpcci;~.Ily condcnme it in thy world, and it cannot tcl thee what one finne is. fclfc. nor what ic is to offend G od: fo th:lt there re- , -~ut. a!as thc(c times of oni-s, cry 1 .o~u~t_:o~f~al~lo~-:_:____:_':.:; " ::_ai:_::n :<s::o:::'::. 'ILY .::th.::c.::l•::'c.'e:..o:..fc.G:..o:..<:__l'-'' tc:h:..c:..:l ir:~_ht:__'_vh_c_r;;; c--~ - ot
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=